Every Life is a Story, rewrite
by MRACR
Summary: Send a thief to catch a thief. With Thread’s end it seems like the age of adventures is at an end as well. But two mischievous harpers are caught in the middle when new criminal uprisings appear. And their story is about to get a lot more interesting.
1. Chapter 1

**_New look, same great taste! Or, at least, same basic ish-esque-ness of it all. But completely redone! Or, somewhat redone, anyway. Dangit, I will _never_ be a good commercial this way..._**

**_But anyway, Caleea's POV for the first chapter. And her POV until the fourth chapter, actually. Again. Lol. The other version, the crappy(er) one, will be deleted soon. Hopefully this one's better. There wasn't _much_ change to the first chapter here, but a few bits and pieces were changed and edited and such since our storyline is adjusted. :)_**

**_Hope we get some new readers and keep our old ones and, well, hope you enjoy it!_**

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Chapter 1:

_Every life is a story,_ Caleea mused as thunderous applause filled the dining hall, _whether it gets written or not._ And each of the four apprentices walking the tables around her were about to start a brand new chapter.

Caleea secretly envied them. She envied them their stories. Her tales about young holder girls, heroic dragonriders, brave craftsmen—all of them triumphed in the end. Triumphed just like the new journeymen were doing tonight; a perfect contrast to Caleea's own life.

Each of the boys had been at the Harper Hall at least two turns and Caleea knew they were deserving of their new titles. She didn't begrudge them their right to success.

The clapping died down, all breaths held, as yet more journeymen stood from the oval tables. _Three._ The long apprentice tables nearer the great hearth were amazingly and unusually silent in anticipation as the last journeymen approached.

Sighing inaudibly, Caleea ignored the tension surrounding her and speared another bite of the now-tasteless roast wherry with her knife, peering around the dimly lit cavern. She couldn't see her friend, but then again it would be extremely difficult to pick him out of a crowd if he didn't want to be seen.

As footsteps sounded behind her, Caleea politely set her knife down and glanced to both sides. After the events of this evening—namely, returning one of the girls' bracelets her friend had stolen when he "was bored"—she'd been in such a haste to find an open seat she hadn't noticed who she sat near.

_What could the Masters be thinking?_ Caleea wondered, eyes wide, as she absently brushed a brown curl away from her face. The only apprentice within four places of her that was even _possible _of walking yet would be Brendi; and while she did show more promise and natural talent than the others sitting nearby, she was no Menolly; she couldn't possibly—

A hand on Caleea's shoulder halted her speculations and she slowly turned her head, barely able to hope. After a second that felt more like a Turn, she faced Journeyman Talan, a broad grin on his lopsided face. His _adorable_ lopsided face.

In her shock, she had to concentrate hard to keep her curious little green from darting into the hall to see what was going on. If Minia came in now, it would only cause more attention to be drawn to Caleea, and _that_ she wasn't keen on. It was bad enough she owned a green fire lizard; apprentices didn't own _anything_. 

* * *

"_They're sending _us_ to find a clutch?" Caleea asked the boy in front of her for the third time._

"_Mmhm," the boy, Val, murmured, pressing on ahead of her through the increasingly soft sand. Caleea'd only met him about a month ago, when she'd first come to the Harper Hall, but from day one she'd figured out he wasn't exactly someone to trust with valuables._

"_Why?" she asked, trying to convey all of her disbelief and doubt in that one word._

"_They think it'll teach you responsibility."_

"_They told you that?"_

"_No."_

_Caleea giggled, imagining a sour expression on his innocent-looking features. His full name was Valth, but she refused to call him that. Val it was, and he had finally stopped objecting._

_She'd hung around him since the incredibly chaotic day one; ever since she convinced those journeymen that Val had been with _her_ the entire day, whether that was true or not, showing her around the Hall, and couldn't have _possibly_ stolen any marks._

_But after the journeymen left she still hadn't believed Val entirely when, green eyes _perfectly_ innocent, he claimed he'd been framed. It was amazing how many times that month those green eyes could get themselves into trouble. But according to everyone else he'd gotten into less than half as much trouble as usual, with Caleea around._

_She didn't tell them it was because she deflected most of the blame. She looked a lot more innocent and trustworthy than Val, after all._

"_There!" she suddenly exclaimed, startled out of her musings by the mound she spotted to her left, sort of surprised that Val hadn't seen it first._

_Not waiting for his response, Caleea darted toward the mound. In her excitement, she didn't even hear the waves which had finally come into view._

_She fell to her knees, brushing her hands carefully as silk over the eggs, brushing away the coarse sand. All she found were empty shells._

"_Not a Gold's," Val quietly repeated what Caleea hadn't heard before. "Come on, let's go."_

"_But—" the slight girl started, running her hands over the poor, desolate things. She felt like crying. All those beautiful creatures, dead before they even broke shell. This was worse than being left unImpressed at a Hatching—these hadn't even been able to hatch._

"_You know that's what happens to Green clutches. Let's go." Caleea was kind of surprised he hadn't just left without her._

"_Val!"_

"_Caleea . . ."_

"_This one's still alive!" She picked up the small sphere, hard as a rock, but she was convinced it wasn't one. She cradled it carefully in her milky hands, turning hopefully to look up at the boy standing over her._

"_How can you be sure?"_

_A crack suddenly formed in the creamy surface and Caleea squealed, but didn't drop it. She barely saw Val's eyes widen as he knelt next to her and then her full attention was on the little green form Hatching right into her hands._

_Almost in a trance she reached for the meatrolls in the pack at her belt, awed at the creeling of the beautiful jewel-toned green._

"_Here, here, you silly dear thing, don't eat my hand," she crooned softly._

_Not in the mood to think about the implications this event might have on her future at the Harper Hall, Caleea hoped Val would ask what her new darling's name was when he cleared his throat. But apparently his mind was on a different track, as all he did was utter,_

"_Scorch it!"_

* * *

Still hardly daring to believe she'd actually made _journeyman _already, Caleea stood, trying not to stumble over the bench and managing a small smile back at Journeyman Talan. The fresh round of applause—for her, this time—was drowned out by abrupt panic as she froze for an instant in the face of so much attention, desperately scanning the suddenly unfamiliar sea of people around her.

Then she found him, Val, halfway across the hall, also being led to the oval tables. His eyes met hers for a second and she thought she saw him wink, but it could have been a trick of the light. Relief washed over her.

Caleea snapped out of her paralysis just as she felt a slight pressure on her arm. She resumed walking, a true smile lighting her face, for once ignoring the fact that the entire Harper Hall would be staring. Talan didn't ease the pressure of his hand on her arm, and Caleea blushed, the colouring lost in her already flushed features.

She should probably be keeping an eye on Val; he'd likely _already _lifted marks from the journeyman leading him.

Caleea suppressed the desire to roll her eyes and giggle at the same time. She'd already gotten her friend out of trouble once this evening. If he wanted to joke around and thieve himself into more mischief tonight then she could deal with it later. This was as much _her_ time to shine as his. Not that he was exactly a shining kind of person.

If she wasn't so happy, she thought she might have cried. She'd excelled, she'd triumphed, she'd _made it._

She could almost hear Minia's exultant chittering—wait, she _could _hear it. Caleea tried to keep her cool as her gaze darted around, landing on a pair of quickly whirling dots. _Stay above the hearth,_ she thought firmly to her darling. If Minia stayed still, perhaps no one would notice the little green's presence.

Caleea breathed in again as Minia settled back, content to be allowed to stay in the same room. Hopefully no one else could see her with all the cheering going on. Talan chuckled and Caleea glanced sideways to see him gazing at her green. She sighed a bit.

His attention _could_ very well be because he had a bronze of his own . . . and Minia was nearly a Turn old. Perhaps he was just trying to get a head start on all the other Journeymen with male fire-lizards that would be trying to claim her attention over the next few months. She shook her head a bit to clear it. Oh well. But she did subtly move her arm out of Talan's grasp and he didn't try to reclaim it.

Val made some snide comment—it didn't _sound _snide on the surface, but Caleea knew any remark he made publicly almost always contained some amount of subtle sarcasm, whether it was a compliment, joke, or simple statement. Still, she ignored him for now; the incessant applauding drowning out most of it anyway.

As she took her final steps to the journeyman tables, along with the other two former apprentices, all other sounds silenced by the impossibly _louder _clapping, Caleea realized: this was _her _story. And it was finally going right. It was so different from the rest of her life—even from a mere Turn ago.

_

* * *

_

Caleea stared out at the empty stretch of hot sand. Empty of everything but shards of dragon eggs. The other Candidates who'd failed to Impress had already left; now it was just her.

I should have just stayed a trader_, Caleea thought viciously, clenching her fists. This was the second Hatching she'd failed in a row. What would she do now? If she did return to trading, would her group let her back in? They'd already taken her in once, but would they accept her after she'd been Searched and they hadn't?_

"_Cal!" a voice called, getting closer._

_Caleea turned, trying not to look too dejected. She should be used to this, right?_

"_You know I don't like you to call me that," Caleea said, sighing overdramatically as her friend Nirra pulled up next to her and pulled her into an embrace._

"_Fine, _Caleea_," Nirra emphasized._

_Caleea smiled but it didn't quite reach her dimmed brown eyes. Nirra was a greenrider—still a weyrling. They'd been Candidates together in the last Hatching and even though Nirra had moved on and Impressed her Gailith, they hadn't quite lost their friendship._

"_Oh, Cally, I know you're disappointed but I've got some good news for you."_

_Caleea let the name thing slide—she didn't _really _mind—as Nirra hugged her again and curiosity overcame her._

"_What's the good news? I get to go back and try this Hatching again?" Sarcastic as her voice was, inside she felt almost normal again—Nirra's enthusiasm was contagious._

"_No, silly! The Candidate master talked to Master Menolly—__the_ actual Menolly_—and the Harper Hall needs more girls to even out the boys and he told her about your skills and how great you play the gitar and even though you wouldn't be able to stand again and I'd really miss you, she's willing to bring you back to the Harper Hall as an apprentice!"_

_Caleea blinked as she tried to take it all in._

"_That's great," she managed as her greenrider friend bounded off the Hatching Grounds, dragging Caleea behind her._

_She tried to act happy as she gathered her things, rode for the second time in her life _between_, and landed—after an amazing view that she took no note of—in the courtyard of the actual Harper Hall._

_But as she dismounted with the help of the bluerider who'd taken her, smoothing her wherhide jacket, she couldn't help but cringe at the horde of awed and envious apprentices watching from the doorways._

Crowds. Staring. Strangers._ First the traders, then the Weyr, now the Harper Hall. How many more times would she fail and be whisked away to someplace new?_

_Clutching her pack to her chest, she walked bravely toward it all._

_But before she could muster up the courage to say anything, there was a commotion in what looked to be the dining hall. A dark-haired, medium built boy raced out, grabbed her by the hand, and dragged her after him as he darted through the courtyard to the main building._

_Too startled to pull away, Caleea simply stumbled after him, tripping over her boots, trying not to drop her pack._

"_Name's Valth. I'm supposed to show you around." He threw a glance over his shoulder and Caleea followed his gaze to see three people chasing after them. "Oh, don't mind them. A simple misunderstanding. That right there's restricted; that's the boys' barracks; that's where you'll be sleeping; that's . . ."_

_Was he really a guide, or was he just using her as an excuse to throw off their pursuers? Giggling a bit, Caleea followed dutifully, not really caring at this point._

_As she glanced around at her rapidly passing surroundings , sixteen-Turn-old Caleea took as deep a cleansing breath as she could while panting after Valth._

_Now only if she could stay _here_ for more than one Turn._

* * *

Sure she hadn't lasted more than a Turn, but this time it was a good thing.

"Where do you think we'll be posted?" asked one of the new journeymen to her left.

His answer was drowned out by the affronted "Shells!" coming from somewhere to Caleea's right. She stifled her giggles with a hand. That couldn't be anyone but Val.

_Well, at least nothing's changed._


	2. Chapter 2

**_I know it hasn't been a whole week since the repost of ch1, but this was our original update day and XIII Dragon insisted we keep it. Weirdo. So here we have it, the second chapter. Again, we're not yet to the part where it deviates excessively. So it's different, working toward a different goal obviously, but not crazy different yet. :)_**

**_Thank you our dedicated reviewers/criticizers!! You came back! Or at least two of you. Lol._**

_Keep him out of trouble._ The stern voice and kind smile of Master Sebell resounded in Journeyman Caleea's head as she and Journeyman Val waited in the nearly empty courtyard. It'd been nearly a sevenday since they'd walked the tables.

All fourteen of the journeymen being posted had their packs ready. They were just waiting for inspection before the midday meal and subsequent announcement of their postings.

Twelve of them were standing nervously in front of their shoulderbags, all in a row like unruly apprentices being called to order. Caleea and Val, though, were slightly apart from the group; Val leaned unconcernedly against the wall, both their bags at his feet, while Caleea stood like a shadow next to him with a green bulge sleeping on her shoulder.

The slight girl braced herself with a hand on the sun-warmed stone and leaned toward Val. "What color do you think we rate?" she asked breathlessly.

"Dragon? Probably a blue or green," he answered evenly. Smirking, he added, "We've got less to steal."

"That's what I thought." A second later the full impact of his words hit her and she hit Val, causing Minia to squawk in her ear and latch her tail more firmly around Caleea's neck.

"Ow! What?" Val exclaimed, holding a hand to his head, drawing nervous glances from a few of the others.

"I should be offended by that! What do you mean, 'we'?" Caleea asked indignantly.

Val instantly assumed an innocent air. "What are you talking about? I don't see any insult to you in my use of the word 'we'." Then he rolled his eyes. "You just decided to take it that way."

"Everyone knows you're the thief. I'm the amazing gitar girl who came along and reformed you into a perfect little harper." She grinned. It _was_ true that Val was a lot better, and anything he stole out of boredom that he really oughtn't Caleea returned before it was noted.

But he was still a thief by habit; he could steal a necklace right off the neck of the lady wearing it completely unnoticed. And Caleea was even better at being invisible in plain sight than Val.

Her little darling chirruped contentedly, drawing the longing attention of Journeyman Allib and his little brown Knari

From behind Caleea, Val commented, "You'd better keep her in check. Harper Hall's one thing, but soon we'll be surrounded by even more fire-lizards and we don't need your nearly-proddy green drawing every male in the Hold."

Just as Caleea opened her mouth to disagree, a colorful flash—one of several—caught her eye and the words died on her lips.

Greens, blues, and even a brown. The journeymen stared in awe. At least the ones who'd never ridden dragons before. Caleea's mind was filled with memories of her Turn at the Weyr. She didn't regret leaving now.

The attention of the journeymen was diverted once again as Masters Sebell and Menolly strode out to the courtyard. Sebell turned to greet the dismounting dragonmen while Menolly turned to the waiting group of journeyers.

Everyone seemed tense but Caleea was only eager. In a few more hours she'd be a true journeyman—or journeywoman as some of the prissier girls were proclaiming—spreading news and new Teaching Ballads to those without a resident Harper.

Of course, her friend was more talented at _harpering_, and she had some doubts as to whether her gitar skills had actually been enough to elevate her to _journeyman_, but after Turns of shifting from place to place, task to task, a bit of settling down seemed like a welcome adventure in itself.

Master Menolly moved quickly down the line, and Caleea assumed it was because harpers of all ranks were already starting to gather for the midday meal.

At first she had been uncertain; scared of being alone again among strangers. Not _scared_, exactly, but it seemed too similar to the rest of her life—new place, new people, attention all on her.

"Alone among strangers? Again? You're journeying with me," he had said matter-of-factly.

Sebell's words repeated in Caleea's mind again. Val had predicted right.

According to the Master, he'd put the two of them together because they worked well together, their strengths would play off one another—which was all true—and, in an aside to Caleea, he wanted to make sure Val didn't go back to his thieving ways.

But according to Menolly's cryptic whispered words to Caleea alone in the hallway, "it takes a thief to catch a thief."

That had unnerved Caleea for the rest of the day, and she hadn't told Val. Not yet.

Menolly reached the end of the line and gave her a meaningful look that included something of a wink. Apparently the rest of the Harper Hall—except for perhaps a few grudge-holding apprentices—thought Val was just a great harper and Caleea, when they noticed her at all, his gitar-playing friend who kept him out of trouble.

What Caleea wondered was why Menolly trusted them anyway. And just _who_ were she and Val supposed to be catching?

* * *

Panting slightly, Caleea raced back to the waiting green. At least her rider didn't seem too put-out, just amused. Ignoring his and Val's chuckles, she clambered up in front of her friend, clutching her journal. Even though everyone else used the white sheets, most of Caleea's memories and stories had been written in this hidebound journal and she refused to leave without it.

She should have packed it earlier. She knew she should have. But she'd put it off because Val was hanging around her and she'd made a supreme effort to keep him from finding out where she hid the thing. It had nearly slipped her mind entirely.

It wasn't very late here which meant, by her calculations, that it would be nearly sunset at Nerat, where they were posted. When she heard the announcement for her and Val here eyes had widened. Once, returning a set of Menolly's own bracelets she _still _didn't know why Val had stolen, Caleea had overheard something vague about Abominators suspected at Nerat, uprisings without a clear suspect.

_Criminals. Thieves. Takes one to catch one . . . ?_

She sighed a bit and shook her head. It was all getting so complicated. Later she'd have to tell Val what Menolly said, and what she suspected the reason for their being posted at Nerat, rather than, say, Ruatha, to be. Master Menolly wouldn't say something like that to her without meaning. Caleea knew she was on the right thought path. She was just getting weary of thinking along it.

Not that riding a dragon did anything for her concentration.

_Between_. Caleea didn't like it, not at all. And she'd only been _between_ twice. Looking back, it was probably a good thing she hadn't Impressed during that Turn at Benden Weyr.

Shivering in anticipation rather than chill, she pulled her wherhide jacket closer. An instant later, the green—Pinth—took off and Caleea frantically latched onto the rider in front of her.

She felt Val chuckle behind her and realized, _he's never been _between_ before._

A smug tone in her voice, Caleea turned her head and asked him, "Scared of _between?_"

The ground spiraled away below them and Minia chirped questioningly from her owner's shoulder. _She_ wasn't afraid of _between_.

"Me?" Val responded skeptically, shouting over the wind, and even then his words barely reached Caleea.

The freezing black nothingness of _between_ cut off anything else he might have said.

_Cough three times, cough three times, cough three times, cough three times,_ she repeated to herself.

Reality popped back into being in an explosion of orange sunlight and salty air; the green dragon back under her, her rider in front of her, Val behind her. She took a deep breath and looked around. Heights were no problem after _between _but they weren't too terribly high up anyway; the sea wasn't visible yet. But the Hold below, bustling with everyday activity, reminded Caleea of her days as a trader, traveling from Hold to Hold.

The sun was almost set—hopefully it wouldn't take too long to get used to the time difference. Waves of gold and pink washed over them as Pinth circled in to land.

As soon as her surroundings sunk in, Caleea turned her attention back to her journeyman friend. Val's hands resting on Caleea's knees in front of him were pale, and he was obviously trembling.

"So that was _between_," he said, giving a small laugh that was every bit as wavering as his voice. He didn't say anything else and Caleea rolled her eyes. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous at his control; when she'd first come out of between it had taken the blue rider who'd brought her to the Weyr over a minute to quiet her screaming.

Retorts and things she could say to tease Val scrolled through Caleea's mind, but Minia crooned worriedly in her ear and she thought better of it. Pinth's muscles shifted under them and Caleea prepared for the impact of landing.

Dismounting was considerably easier. With all the jumping out of windows they'd done this past Turn they were practically experts at falling from such a distance.

Caleea mentally urged Minia to stay silent and the little green chittered in annoyance, taking off from Caleea's shoulder to find some other fire-lizards to cavort with.

Perhaps it was simply because there weren't nearly as many children here as at the Harper Hall, but the greeting crowd for a dragon seemed considerably smaller and less enthusiastic. It dissipated almost as soon as the greenrider departed.

"Welcome to Nerat Hold," said a tall, thin, dark man that could only be the resident Harper, judging by the string of pipes at his belt.

"Here we usually sleep soon after the sun goes down, so you and your _green_ will not cause any commotion after that time," an abrupt female voice said. The voice came from the equally sharp face of the young woman standing next to the Harper.

Caleea instantly took in her stance; her extreme abruptness; her formal tone; the way she relaxed ever so slightly when the Harper's hand brushed her arm. A newly promoted headwoman taking her duties seriously, like as not. And a thing with the resident Harper on top of it.

"Headwoman Jiri here will show you around," the Harper's smooth voice cut in. "Once you've settled your things in your quarters, report back to me for your assignment."

Caleea nodded mutely. Jiri turned without another word and Caleea made to follow her. A slight pressure on her arm made her look up to see the harper walking in step with her.

"I'm Harper Kallim, by the way," he said, a hint of worry in his voice. "Now, I'm not so hide-bound but many still are, and I was reassured that you were to be traveling with a partner . . ."

Caleea was suddenly aware of Val's absence. But she answered Kallim as if nothing was wrong. "Oh, I am. Valth. I'm sure he's around here somewhere."

A broad grin revealing white teeth appeared on Kallim's face. "I'm glad I wasn't misinformed. You're both to report to me once Jiri's done with you, understand?"

"Yes, Kallim." Caleea inclined her head to him and he turned down another corridor, leaving Caleea in Jiri's hands.

The next second, without a sound, Val was walking by her side down the dimly lit, winding passages behind the eerily silent headwoman. As if he'd never left.

"Where were you?" Caleea exclaimed in a whisper.

"Oh, here and there," Val answered casually with a wave of his hand.

Whatever response Caleea might have had was cut off as Jiri halted, her voice surprisingly gentle when quiet. "To your left is the dining hall. We rise early and you will both be expected to do the same." The slight emphasis on the word "both" made Caleea wince; Jiri had noticed Val's abrupt return.

At some unseen signal a slim, curvy girl with blue eyes—probably about Caleea's age—stepped out of a side door.

"Myska, take these two to their quarters," Jiri turned and looked at the waiting pair. "I have better things to do," she added as Myska nodded eagerly.

"This way!" the girl whispered, gesturing down a passageway to their left as her superior turned down another corridor. Various door-filled tunnels came more often, now, to both sides. Caleea was truly lost in this maze, though she didn't think they'd walked terribly far since entering the Hold, and they hadn't even gone up any stairs yet.

"Now, you'll probably need to check in with Harper Kallim?"

"Those were our orders," Caleea replied.

Myska grinned back over her shoulder. "The teaching room and the Harper's quarters are down there," she gestured. "Blue curtains so you can't miss them!"

Out of the corner of her eye Caleea saw Val slow just a bit and she reached out, grabbing his hand firmly in hers to pull him back up to speed. When he looked at her innocently she just frowned and shook her head. _We have to make a good impression,_ she mouthed at him. Mischief could wait until there was someone worthwhile to perform it against, once they were on the road.

He simply shrugged and continued walking innocently as if he'd never intended to stop. Myska, oblivious of the exchange, was whispering on about her quarters and her sister's quarters and pretty much anyone's quarters that came to mind. She reminded Caleea a bit of her greenrider friend.

"Here we are! This will be your room," Myska stopped in front of one in a series of curtained doorways and gestured. "I've got a cot all set up and ready for the two of you," she grinned broadly, "so you can get as much sleep as possible once you report to the Harper. You'll need it if you're to be traveling at first light . . ."

Caleea could only stare. "_A_ cot?" she asked blankly for clarification. She glanced behind her at Val, expecting him to be laughing or something.

He was smiling innocently, which was even worse. Then suddenly he threw an arm around her shoulders. "Did you hear that, dear? How considerate of them."

"Don't worry," Myska said, winking, "once we heard you two were _traveling together_ we made sure you had a room to yourselves."

Thinking that death, or at least unconsciousness, would be more desirable than standing there at the moment, but having no way to achieve either, Caleea just managed a nod.

"Thanks . . ." she said vaguely, trying to suppress her laughter.

With another smile and wink, Myska was off back down the passage they'd come in, probably to her own quarters.

Ignoring Val, who was smirking and trying to call her "my pet" or something, Caleea shrugged his arm away expertly—she'd gotten a lot of practice shrugging boys' arms off her shoulders this past sevenday—and pushed her bag through the curtain, catching a glimpse of the cot, furs piled high, just big enough for two people. Only one cot, as promised.

She wanted to laugh at how unlikely the situation was, but just shook her head. That was an issue for a later time. Harper business first. She started uncertainly down the tunnels, running her hand along the dark stone walls, assuming Val would follow.

She and Val retraced their steps, searching for blue curtains. Caleea really hoped they wouldn't get lost in here; that would be embarrassing.

Minia popped into the air in front of them with ecstatic chittering.

"Minia! Hush!" Caleea whispered frantically. "You'll wake the Hold!"

Giving one last _cheep_, Minia quieted and settled huffily on Val's shoulder, flipping her wings back. But she still broadcasted happy images of cavorting with the Hold's fire-lizards to Caleea.

"One of the many reasons, sweetheart, that I've no interest in a fire-lizard of my own." He vaguely tried to shoo Minia away but she'd decided that she didn't want to ride on the shoulder of her uncooperative owner.

Caleea started to turn, laughing, to punch Val in the shoulder but stopped herself before she set off Minia. The little green was already fidgeting with the effort of being still and quiet for more than a few seconds.

The tired senior Journeyman gave them routine advice and instructions, which Caleea took in amazing politeness, all the while keeping a close eye on Val who leaned casually but completely inoffensively against one wall, apparently paying attention. The maps of their route Caleea glanced eagerly at but didn't let distract her just yet.

When they finally got back to their room, Caleea realized they'd only get about five hours of sleep. No wonder Kallim was so tired.

"Our bodies are still used to Fort time, I guess," Caleea murmured to herself as she walked back from the washroom.

"Quite true, dearest, so we'd better get to sleep," Val agreed amiably from where he was stretched out on the cot, apparently having the time of his life. "After all, love," he continued, "we have got an early day tomorrow."

Minia was evidence of Caleea's annoyance which was currently outweighing her usual humour in relation to Val's antics. The little green took to the air with eyes whirling ferociously red. Utterly silent, Caleea sauntered to the cot, easily pushing her infuriating friend off. She was no weakling and he landed hard on the stone floor on the other side, in slight shock.

Caleea pulled the furs around her. "You," she said, feeling perfectly justified in her actions, "are sleeping on the _ground._"


	3. Chapter 3

**_Okay, Thursday night update as usual. Caleea's POV. Last chapter with resemblance to the others, I believe. R&R&C enjoy..._**

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Chapter 3:

Caleea woke, warm. She was in a cot more comfortable than her quarters at the Harper Hall, covered in soft brown furs, Minia's small warm figure nestled against her. Content how she was, Caleea really didn't want to open her eyes. But her body was telling her it was dawn and she needed to get up or she'd miss breakfast.

_I've gone without breakfast before . . . _came her groggy thought.

Then her mind broke in, telling her she needed to get up or she'd have to face the wrath of Jiri. Her eyes sprang open. The back of Val's head came into view, not two inches away. Minia squawked awake and took off, hovering in the air.

In an instant, Caleea was out of bed, shivering against the morning chill. "What are you _doing_?"

"Staying warm," Val's groggy voice muttered.

Caleea sighed. That was Val, and there wasn't anything she could do about it. So she walked back to the cot and dug through the pack hanging on one end, pulling out a new outfit, harper blue. She fingered her pipe, the first one she'd ever made that was worth anything, and briefly brushed her hand over the cover of her journal.

Put out at her rude awakening, Minia disappeared _between_, to look for the fire-lizards she'd played with the day before.

Caleea laughed at the little green and hit Val upside the head. "Wake up," she said, pulling off yesterday's tunic, "it's dawn already."

Val yawned and rolled over, mumbling something incoherent. Caleea finished dressing and walked back to the cot, yanking the furs off Val. He was still wearing the same attire from yesterday; apprentices learn early on to sleep fully clothed. "Get _up._"

His hand shot out and latched onto Caleea's wrist. Without even opening his eyes, Val pulled her and half the furs back onto the cot.

"Val . . ." Caleea started in a warning tone of voice, failing to stifle her laughter.

"Come on, Caleea, sleep in for once. We're not at the Harper Hall anymore."

"But we're journeymen. On _duty_." Caleea tried getting up but her arm was pinned down.

"Exactly. We're journeymen; we have privileges. Like sleeping in."

"And when you end up going without breakfast and arrive too late for supper at our first stop, just how privileged will you feel?"

"We've got plenty of time," Val said casually, eyes still closed as if he was still trying to sleep. "Shells, it's only just dawn."

"The smaller holds will probably have some lenience, especially for _you_," Caleea responded, rolling her eyes and trying once again to pull away from Val's grip and failing, crashing down practically on top of him. "But here—"

"Caleea!" A voice cut Caleea off from the doorway. Myska, the girl from the day before, stopped in her tracks, suddenly blushing furiously. "Um . . ." the girl started, giggling.

"It's ok," Caleea said, suddenly summoning the strength to pull away from Val and get off the cot, "we're awake."

"Sorry to bother you . . ."

"No bother," she managed to keep a straight face. "We were just getting ready to come down, weren't we darling?" Caleea asked, looking at Val who was still stretched out on the cot, arms behind his head and a completely unconcerned look on his face.

"It's just," Myska's giggles stopped and her brow creased into a frown, "Jiri's strict about breakfast and if you don't come down soon there won't be any left."

"I'm sure if you consult her, Jiri will inform you of other plans."

Caleea smiled at Myska. "Val's right. Just ask Jiri."

The moment Myska left Caleea turned to Val. "Other plans?" she asked. "What have you done now?"

"Just get back to bed. I told you we could sleep in." The dark-haired boy closed his eyes again.

"I don't know what you did," she said, laughing, "but I think I'm glad you did it." Shaking her head, Caleea sat back down on the cot, slipping under the furs. "But by the First Egg, if I miss breakfast I'm blaming _you_."

* * *

The two journeymen had been walking for most of the day. Minia fell asleep draped across Caleea's shoulders, her tail a glowing jewel necklace, after the first hour.

Caleea hadn't lasted long against Val's stoic silence and the unhelpful miles of bland dirt path and stones; soon curiosity overcame any restraint.

"How _did_ you get her to give us breakfast in bed, two hours after dawn?" she'd asked, turning toward him.

Val simply chuckled, shifting his bag to his other shoulder. _Thinks he can get away with that, does he? _Caleea thought.

Careful not to dislodge the little green fire-lizard, she shoved his shoulder. "_How?_ I _know_ I was part of it."

"Hey," Val shrugged, "they thought we were together; why not milk it for what it's worth?"

"Tell me," Caleea said, trying to stifle her laughter, halting in her tracks, and grabbing Val's arm, stopping him and rousing Minia, "exactly _how_ you pulled it off."

The tiny green leapt into the air, spreading her wings and chittering angrily. She hung over the pair, eyes slowly fading from red, watching them curiously.

"Or?" Val asked, his look daring, eyes greener than the hovering little beauty above them.

The intensity of Caleea's gaze faltered as she cast around for some retort. Or what? Val was a _thief_. Questionable morals, no regard for what others thought of him. She tended to care more, though she tried not to. He didn't care one bit, which was what made him stand out when he wasn't trying to be inconspicuous.

If he didn't care then, harper or not, he could leave at any time. It was always something that nagged at the back of her thoughts. She'd survived on her own before, though, after she was orphaned and before the traders found her. If Val left she knew she couldn't handle the assignment on her own; she'd just leave.

She pushed the thoughts out of her head and smacked her friend.

"Ow!" Val yelped, clutching his head.

Caleea laughed. "Or I'll do _that_ again."

"Okay," he starting walking again, "let's just say Jiri has a . . . romantic side."

But all that was several hours ago, before the camaraderie was replaced by the endlessly monotonous roadway, and silence brought on by lack of anything to say.

Minia had curled up inside Val's pack to sleep once she tired of riding on Caleea's shoulder. Even her pipe-playing couldn't keep Caleea occupied for long. They weren't walking fast, so she had enough breath to play, but once she ran out of songs it became tiresome. And Val had refused to play so that she could practice her harmonies.

The sun was close to setting, which hopefully meant they'd be within sight of their first stop soon.

"Why do we have to walk, anyway?" Val asked for the tenth time since they'd started. "Walking is so _tiresome_. They had runnerbeasts—"

"Val!" Caleea cut him off, starting to get annoyed. "They didn't have enough to spare. It's not such a far walk, so it doesn't matter. It's not as if we're walking the entire length of Nerat in one day."

"If you'd let me I could have stolen two, framed someone else, and been at Jeeran's hold up there by lunchtime," the journeyman grumbled.

"Val!" she cried, exasperated. "You know we can't do that! Why do you always want to take things that aren't yours?" Caleea kept her voice down only out of habit. "Pranks are one thing but the _moment_ news of something like _that_ got back to the Harper Hall they'd know it was you and then where would we be?"

"Where we're always at," he said unconcernedly. "Me running and you using those eyes of yours to woo people into believing our innocence."

Caleea smirked. "Really, people noticing me because of Minia is getting on my nerves. I'm _used _to walking around practically _invisible_."

Val shrugged, looking straight ahead.

"Anyway, I keep you out of trouble by _stopping_ you from pointless thievery and from returning things when you decide you're bored . . ."

Val rolled his eyes and they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

After about ten minutes Caleea thought she was going out of her mind with boredom.

She glanced over at Val, smothering a sly grin, and sent a thought to her fire-lizard.

Minia popped from _between_ overhead, clutching Val's half-empty canteen from his pack in her forepaws. He looked up, startled, just as she tilted it and water splashed down around him, soaking his face and shirt.

By the time he turned back to Caleea she was already taking advantage of her head start.

"Hey!" he called. "That's cheating!"

"It's not cheating unless you get caught . . ."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Ah, so here we have it, chapter 4 already! Okay, so it's a day late...and XIII Dragon even reminded me yesterday and earlier today...but I've got a friend over and was being extraordinarily lazy about updating. So -sheepish smile- er, sorry? But we generally don't get reviews until a few days after we update anyway, so I'm sort of assuming we don't have the sort of fans that stick around on the site Thursday evenings just _waiting _for us to update . . . lol. Oh well. ;)_**

**_Okay, this chapter is very different from the others; it's in Val's POV, but it's not a "normal" chapter. It's...well, guess. And enjoy, and review and all that good stuff. :)_**

**_Oh, and XIII Dragon reminded me that I also keep forgetting the disclaimer. Oy, will I never learn?_**

**_WE DO NOT OWN THE DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN, AS IT ALL BELONGS TO ANNE MCCAFFREY. WE DID MAKE UP THE CHARACTERS OF VAL AND CALEEA AND ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT DON'T APPEAR IN THE CANON BUT WE STILL PRETTY MUCH DON'T OWN THEM, WHICH IS SORT OF SAD IF YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT. SO, LET'S MOVE ON. CHAPTER 4, ANYONE?_**

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Chapter 4:

It's so different then what I was told. You never described the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, nor the sea breeze. There's so much here that you never told me about, and it's all so different from what I thought.

It's interesting, really; I never thought I'd be able to visit the place you were born. The place you missed so much. The place you told me one day you'd take me to visit. But you never got the chance to take me.

So much as changed as well. The hall you described to me when I was young as I sat on your lap is now gone. A landslide covered it up. In its place a new one was constructed. You should see it now; it's larger than the one you described. Apparently it made it easier to serve the hold and I agree.

It's a lot busier around Nerat Hold as well, more people bustling about. The place you described on the shore where you used to go to be alone is still there. I went there the other day in the middle of the night and just sat there listening to the waves lapping the shore. The moon was out and particularly bright and at one time I think I even managed to catch a glimpse of the Yokohama, but the time was wrong so I'm not certain.

It's been very busy for Caleea and I. We settled in yesterday and were taken around the holding; introduced to everyone. Headwoman Reisse reminded me of Teira. They both have that sweet personality but if you get their bad side, Thread's a better fate. They even look similar with their golden hair and tanned skin. Their blue eyes are uncanny in similarity.

Has Teira grown any taller yet? The reason I ask is because Reisse is slightly shorter than me and the last time I saw my sister she was just a child. Sometimes I wonder how much she remembers of me.

As usual, Caleea wanted to jump straight in with the lessons and for once I could not dissuade her from her notion. I tried, but she'd give me that look of hers and my heart would start beating faster, I would loose my voice and all I'd be able to do is nod. Is this Love? You never did describe the feeling to me. You always said you would one day.

The lesson we had didn't go as well as I had hoped it would. I was standing in the corner, evaluating each person as they came in and to my surprise, Caleea froze just as she was about to address them. A couple of the students dared laugh at her, but I managed to set them straight.

Seeing as Caleea was indisposed for the moment, I took over and set up a test. You should have seen their faces when I told them that. The horror that was evident. I wouldn't give that up even for the chance of becoming a bronze rider. Okay, maybe I would.

Once again, it seems like my mind is wandering. As I was saying before, I set up a quick test. An aptitude test if you will, similar to the one used down at Landing to see everyone's skill level. Most were skilled and remember their teaching ballads well, though there were one or two flaws here and there. One was harper material and I'll be testing her some more before sending a letter to Harper Hall.

Those who passed the aptitude test with time to spare, I sent to Caleea for some more in-depth testing; seeing how well they wrote and which instruments they excelled in. By the end of the day, we had a very good overview of the various abilities and attitudes of the students. Most of them seem annoyed that we're so young, but there's not much I can do about that.

I'm not sure what the Masters were thinking when they posted us here. After all, this is a major hold and we've got no teaching experience. Caleea knows, though, I'm positive of it. Why she won't tell me is a completely different matter. You'd think she'd trust her only friend enough.

My day however, didn't get much better after that. I will never understand Caleea. She knows I hate being the centre of attention. Yet she just _had _to state that we would be performing tonight. She gets on my nerves so much, but there's just something about her . . .

At least the performance went without incident unlike the teaching earlier—whatever _that_ was about—but that in no way made it better. We performed a couple new pieces fresh from the Printer at Harper Hall. The Final Pass seemed to a favourite of the hall, I've included the sheet music with this letter. A lovely piece written by Master Menolly.

How's Teira been? Still pinning after that Trader that passes through? He'd better not hurt her or I _will_ come back.

From your beloved son,

Valth.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Well, here. Chap 5. They may not be coming weekly anymore, sorry._**

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Chapter 5:

"Go on," Caleea said affectionately, giving Ressi a little shove and the girl smiled back before scampering off to do her chores before dinner, which was less than an hour away.

The ten-Turn-old girl loved the gitar, she said, which was Caleea's favourite instrument, and already knew a few of the basic Teaching Ballads. Most of the others hadn't ever even held one, or any of the other instruments really. That was fine, though, because she and Val were here to teach them the words, not the instrumentals. Unless they were already proficient.

Caleea picked up the gitar, stroking it carefully. It was a beautiful instrument, and not just because it was veneered prettily. The tone was twice as sweet as the gitar she'd had at the Harper Hall. She strummed lightly and struck a few soft chords, humming no melody in particular.

Caleea looked up suddenly, sensing eyes watching her, just as a fair-haired, fair-skinned boy of about nine Turns entered the room wide-eyed.

"Journeywoman Caleea," he said respectfully, sitting down when she gestured. "I'm Meigon."

She was silent at him, indicating he should continue.

The boy gulped. "Ressi said that you could teach me to play the drums," he burst out.

Caleea smothered a laugh. So that's what it was about. "Of course." She wasn't an expert, but she could teach him something, at least. She handed him a little drum.

"If you hold it between your legs like so," Caleea demonstrated with the drum's twin, "you can use both hands." She tapped out a quick beat—which meant, in the little drum code she knew, "harper reports"—and Meigon imitated her perfectly, grinning at his success.

"That's great," Caleea returned the amazed grin. "Do you know anything about dancing beats?" Meigon shook his head and Caleea smiled, "That's ok. I'll demonstrate . . ."

Half an hour later, Caleea stood and placed the instruments back in their places on the neat wooden shelves, hung the gitar carefully on its hook, pulled her hair back into a knot, and replaced the chairs around the small table.

She'd started with Ressi early this morning and hadn't seen Val since breakfast. She didn't give much thought to the fact that he stepped in yesterday. It was . . . unexpectedly sweet of him to confiscate that girl's necklace just because she snickered at Caleea. But it would have to be returned before she noticed.

But for the actual stepping in, well, it _was_ his job. He was really the teacher; she was the performer. They played off each other's harpering talents just as they did their "sneaking talents" as Caleea had dubbed them.

Still, she hadn't spoken with him since the lessons the previous day. The boys, er, _interested _in her and her fire-lizard had occupied her attention the moment she stepped through to the dining hall. Caleea put up with it, but they were all a bunch of idiots. If they really thought they'd be able to catch Minia, they were sadly mistaken.

Dinner was an optional meal here, so she decided to forego eating until supper to find Val. By the time she'd thought that she was actually already out of the hold and walking down the nearly empty coastline. There weren't any lessons to worry about today, either, not until tomorrow, so she had all day if she needed it.

Waves crashed against the shore near her bare feet—she couldn't stand boots in the sand. The occasional chirp of a fire-lizard punctuated the overwhelming sounds of the sea. It was a clear day but didn't feel particularly sunny, though the sun did indeed beat down on Caleea's neck.

She closed her eyes, using the sounds to direct her steps along the shore. A few minutes later, a small figure crashed into her at top speed.

"Ressi!" Caleea gasped, the wind nearly knocked out of her. "What are you doing out here?"

She didn't answer but her companion—Ginnel, Caleea recognized—exclaimed, "Journeyman Caleea!" His eyes were so wide that Caleea couldn't help herself and laughed.

"Sorry, Journeywoman!" Ressi finally caught her breath and said, not quite apologetically. Ginnel still looked like his head was about to pop; his shorter friend had run into the _journeywoman_.

"No harm done. Shouldn't you be getting in for dinner, though?"

"Well, I wanted to just skip it but Ginnel got hungry," Ressi said in a conversational tone.

Caleea nearly laughed again; Ginnel blushed at the mention of that, uncertain, as if he couldn't figure out when his friend had gotten so chatty with the Harper.

"Well then you'd better run along before they run out of food. But," she stopped Ressi, "have you seen Journeyman Valth anywhere?"

For a mere ten Turns old that girl could give one heck of a closed look, Caleea realized. She shook her head but Caleea didn't fall for it. "Come now, you can tell me. I just want to talk to him."

Ressi muttered something about him probably being where his mother used to sit and dashed off, Ginnel close at her heels. Caleea frowned. Where his mother used to sit?

Something caught at her memory and she stood still, eyes closed, casting through the past few days. Val had asked someone . . . asked someone about Iriall, his mother, when they first got here. Caleea had been trying to disengage herself from some young man at the time.

His mother used to live here? Probably her home Hold, before she was whisked away to get married to a Bitran. Still, it was a bit surprising, a bit of a coincidence that Val and her should be sent back to the same hold his mother was from.

Caleea shook her head. With Sebell pairing them up because of the way they worked together and Menolly sending them off because "it takes a thief to catch a thief," there could be any number of sneaky reasons and plots that they were a part of. But it hurt her head a lot less if Caleea could just assume it was a coincidence and leave it at that.

Where would a young girl go when she wanted to be alone? For that matter, where would Val go when he wanted to be alone? Apparently somewhere Ressi knew of, too.

Which brought on a whole other slew of questions. How did Ressi know Val's mother, and know that she used to live here, and know that she had a secret spot? She was only ten Turns, she wasn't even alive back then.

Then again, gossip spread faster than a harper could quell them, so it was just as likely that Val's mother was involved in something and the tale was passed down.

Caleea opened her eyes and cast about her. There were rock formations and cliffs everywhere, riddled and pocked with caves. There were probably plenty of hard-to-get-to, concealed caves.

Groaning, she closed her eyes again and concentrated hard on Minia. The little green popped above her head, chittering excitedly.

"Yes, yes, dear, I know you're excited. You've been playing with other fire-lizards, new friends. But I need you to find an old friend." She called the little beauty to sit on her arm and looked into her whirling eyes. "I need you to find Val. Can you do that for me? Find Val. Val," at this Caleea sent a mental picture forcefully to her fire-lizard and crooned encouragingly.

Minia suddenly took off, leaving deep but unnoticed scratch marks in her owner's forearm. Caleea scrambled through the sand and rocks after her. Now _that_ was an efficient way to find a friend.

It was an interesting spot: probably the only cave that showed a perfect view of both sea and sky, had enough room to hold five people comfortably, wasn't too hard to get to, and yet was practically invisible unless you fell in on top of it. Which Caleea nearly did.

Val was sitting with his back against the stone, facing the sea, noon shadows falling across his face. The only indication he gave of acknowledging her presence was to silently make room for her against the same wall.

"So," Caleea said softly as Minia glided off, "this is where you got to."

He didn't respond, or even look at her. Just gave a barely perceptible shrug and kept staring at the waves.

"What are you thinking about?" Caleea tried again, tilting her head softly to the side. Silence wasn't particularly unusual behaviour, but not responding at all to his partner _was_.

Val glanced at her but his gaze slid back to the sea. "This and that."

He was too soft-spoken, too serious. Caleea scooted closer on the cold, smooth rock surface and looked at him intently, her eyebrows drawing together. "About your mother?" Her voice carried a barely noticeable sad tone. She didn't know much about Val's mother, except that she was alive, but if Caleea ever got to visit her own mother's birthplace that's all _she'd_ be thinking and asking about. Especially since her mother had died when she was so little.

Val chuckled softly and in spite of the shadows Caleea could see him rolling his eyes. "Do the words 'my mother' appear anywhere in the statement 'this and that'?" he muttered the question.

"No, but this was her spot," Caleea rolled her own eyes, "so what else would you be thinking so fixedly about? We both know thinking isn't your strong point after all," she teased lightly.

"You're the ditzy green, not me," Val replied, a smile tugging at his lips.

Caleea shook her head and laughed, a smirk on her face. "You are never going to give that up, are you? I get caught sneaking just once . . ." Her laughter all but vanished. "You're not answering my question."

Rolling his eyes, Val turned back to the sea. "Very good. You're getting better."

Caleea directed an expectant silence at him. She was his friend; she was there for him to talk to. If he wasn't going to talk then she'd _make_ him. He couldn't keep to himself forever.

Her friend just returned her silence indifferently. Exasperated after only a few minutes, she realized she had no chance beating Val at his own game.

But Val _was_ a young man, and just because he was her friend didn't mean he wasn't just like all the other young men—with or without fire-lizards—who'd come after her recently.

Caleea turned to face Val, nearly touching him. She leaned in and reached her arm across his vision, running her hand lightly over his shoulder and across his cheek, turning his face to hers.

"Tell me," she said softly, her face less than an inch from his, "what's weighing so heavily on your mind."

Val quirked a smile but his eyes gave away nothing. "So you're being a flirty green now?"

Caleea's eyes flashed but she tilted her head, knowing how the wavy strands of hair would fall almost across her face and inwardly winced at the way so many other boys had looked at her across tables at the dining hall in the past week when such a thing had happened. Before she became journeyman she'd never had to deal with such jerks. Or maybe it just coincided with Minia being close to rising. Neither one was the better prospect.

Val was a guy; she'd _seen_ him looking at other girls. He wasn't immune. Being a "flirty green" had its advantages and she'd had considerable practice on drum tower guards, apprentices on watch, and the like.

One leg folded under her, Caleea pressed herself against Val, looking up at him with half-closed eyes, and ran her hand along his jawline. "Tell me," she insisted, holding in a smirk.

Val licked his lips and glanced down at her, taking an uneven breath. "Ah . . ." he trailed off and shook his head as if trying to clear it.

Caleea shifted to her knees so she was at eye-level with him. "What," she whispered, trying to keep impatience out of her voice, "was troubling you?"

The journeyman didn't meet her eyes. "I told you," he seemed to have regained his breath back, and his wits, "this and that. Nothing for you to worry about. The past is in the past. I don't even know why I'm here."

If the rest of Val's actions hadn't given him away, that certainly had. It wasn't the most she'd heard him speak, but it was definitely the fastest. Something was troubling him alright, but he wasn't going to tell her.

Caleea stood up, feet grinding on the floor as she stretched. Val leaned almost imperceptibly toward where she'd just been. "Well, whenever you decide it's something for me to worry about," she said, once again in a normal tone of voice, "I'm here."

She didn't give Val time to respond, but just grabbed his hand and yanked him to his feet in the same manner as always, as if nothing had happened. He looked slightly surprised. "Now come on," she said, grinning. "We missed dinner but if we hurry we won't miss supper."


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hey everyone, here's chapter 6, Caleea's POV, hope it lives up to the improved quality so far. :)_**

**_Disclaimer: We don't own Anne McCaffrey's Pern (just don't tell _me_ I said that, my fire-lizard might disappear, and I'm having a hard enough time keeping her around with everyone telling me I'm hallucinating)_**

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Chapter 6:

The dragon came in the middle of the night: silently, swiftly, an invisible blue silhouette. His rider was on a mission. The watch dragon stayed silent, as if nothing was happening.

The entire Hold was ignorant to the rider passing through the dark corridors. But a low croon from Minia and in an instant Caleea was pressed flat against the wall to the side of her doorway in the near-pitch darkness long before the silent figure knelt by her cot. She sent Minia firmly to Val's room with an order to not wake him up yet.

Her mind was fuzzy but even so she could tell the figure wasn't Val. He leaned a bit too much to the left, didn't have that slightly suspicious air about him, and when he knelt his left foot slid back, making a tiny but noticeable grinding sound. Val was quieter.

And he knew she'd kill him if she ever woke up and found him in her room.

Caleea stepped toward the figure, heart pounding, softer than a shadow, putting her hand to her ever-present belt knife but not drawing it yet. She wasn't afraid, much. If anything went _really_ wrong she could scream and alert the Hold, call Minia in for immediate help. At the moment, though, she was restraining the little green with all her might.

Just as she stopped behind him, the mysterious figure placed a hand on her pillow and found it empty. She hadn't had this sort of encounter since her orphan days before the traders took her in. Back then she could go from sleep to alert in a minute. Now she was struggling just to keep her eyes open.

His head shot around and the sudden motion made Caleea dizzy. She nearly fell but the figure caught her.

"I am F'rel," he said in a low tone as Caleea quickly stood back, blinking the sleep out of her eyes and this time managing with considerable success. His name registered in her mind and her eyes widened. _Dragonrider?_

"Why are you here?"

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When Caleea finally got back to the holding in Nerat she absently thanked F'rel and headed to her quarters, stroking Minia who was sleeping on her shoulder, tail wrapped around Caleea's neck. She focused on being quiet, hoping not to wake anyone; it must be dawn by now—she'd been away for _hours_.

_I should have looked for some klah_, she thought as she slunk down the corridors. She'd have to wake Val and tell him everything before breakfast, since it'd been her fault they left him behind.

Her thoughts had barely reached that point when she arrived at the doorway to her room. The curtains were hanging differently than when she left. The handle of her bag, which had been sticking out from under the curtain, was at an odd angle. Val would be there.

And so he was, leaning casually against the wall, clearly livid though his dark eyes were cloudy and his dark hair ruffled as if he'd only just awoken. Caleea figured she'd probably made enough noise to wake him as she was leaving, but she knew she'd been silent as a shadow on her return, having been awake so long. If Val was here he must have been awake since she left . . .

With pursed lips Caleea put two and two together—F'rel had timed it. But that would have to wait until later. Val was probably wondering why she'd snuck out at midnight only to go on a ten-minute flight with a dragonrider. She nearly laughed as he came toward her, eyes flashing with resentment.

"Went out for a quick ride did you?"

The emphasis on 'ride' made Caleea's blood boil. "It sure is a lovely night for one," she retorted with a smirk.

"I take it you timed it _between?_" his voice was rough. "You weren't gone long enough otherwise."

Over that many hours, it was probably easy to tell they'd been timing it, she realized, not quite sure why things were getting blurry. She really should have gotten some klah. And maybe something to eat . . .

A second later she felt as if she was falling. But when she blinked and shook her head to clear her thoughts, she clearly wasn't. Of course, she was also nearly horizontal and only being held up by Val's wiry arms as her hair fell into her face. Minia was chittering worriedly, eyes whirling a ferocious red, but staying put on the chair by the cot.

"Wha . . ." was all Caleea managed to say the first time around. She tried again. "What . . . ?" Not much better. Her mouth didn't want to work. _Shells!_

Val rolled his eyes. "How many times have I told you that you're a silly green? Worse than Minia. Out riding for how knows how long and then timing it without eating something first." He sighed and brushed her hair back. "Ah well."

Caleea ignored him and focused all her energy. She managed to latch onto Val's shoulder and plant her feet back on the ground. "I'm going to go to the kitchen. They're bound to have something," she mumbled, turning. The movement nearly made her topple again but she caught herself on the wall. Minia chirruped and launched herself across the room to hover around her shaky friend, all in a flutter.

Val grabbed Caleea, saying he'd already sent someone for klah, and somehow swung her around and onto her cot while she was still blinking the dizziness from her mind. She didn't care when, who, or how—klah was on its way and that was good enough for her.

The furs were so _soft _on the cot—she just wanted to fall back on them and sleep.

Caleea shook her head. She just needed some food. Then she could deal with Val and his assumptions. Boys got jealous so _easily_, and it didn't seem to matter whether they were friends or strangers. Sure the bluerider was attractive but weren't all riders? Besides, he wasn't a harper or even a holder, and he didn't have a fire-lizard which, with Minia less than a Turn away from rising, was going to be a requirement of _anyone_ Caleea seriously considered.

Nor did she want to think about how to explain their new assignment. She just wanted something to eat. Absently she stroked Minia, who'd settled down worriedly on the cot next to Caleea.

Several minutes later, after a few cups of warm, sweet klah and some sweetrolls, she was actually feeling awake again. Minia's eyes had stopped whirling red; a good sign.

Inhaling the invigorating scent of the last cup of klah, she looked up at Val, who was sitting across from her on the cot, leaning against the wall, gazing at her with those ever-innocent green eyes of his. He cleared his throat so she waited for him to talk first.

"Not having food and timing it. Shards, are you trying to _kill_ yourself?"

He sounded angry, though he didn't raise his voice, but it was the sort of anger people used to cover up how worried and upset they were, Caleea decided. How typical of him.

"I didn't have time to eat," she said, waving the matter aside. "I didn't have time to even think about eating, we got so deep into our discussion." It didn't cross her mind that Val had no clue where she'd been. "And then I was gone too long and had too much to do and I simply had to get back before anyone knew I was away."

"Discussion? Discussing what? What are you up to this time?" Suspicious. Surprised. Annoyed.

Caleea closed her eyes and put her face in her palm. What was she _supposed _to say? Their mission was going to be so _complicated, _couldn't she just have another night of peace? _Aversion._ _That could work_. Caleea looked up. Val was still staring at her intently.

"What?" she started in a coy tone. "All done with your jealous suppositions?" Val blinked. "For your information," Caleea took on a haughty tone, suppressing a smile, "what I do _in private _is none of your business."

"Jealous suppositions?" Val asked, chuckling slightly, one eyebrow raised. Something in his eyes told Caleea he wasn't saying what he meant. "So you were discussing . . . ? Really, most people talk less and act more. At least, in my experience."

Caleea kept her face nearly expressionless, or tried to. She hoped it worked, because if it didn't Val would see just how much she wanted to punch him right in the face. Or at least how much laughter she was holding in. He had to be lying. He _had _to.

"It really is none of your concern what I was . . . _discussing. _With anyone. It's bad enough you know I was gone for so many hours." _Shards!! _Caleea hadn't meant to let that one out. Silently she cursed her loose tongue and the lateness of the hour.

The journeyman across from her chuckled again, but when he spoke his voice was tight, controlled. "Hours? Of course, most of it was probably discussion."

Caleea bridled. A small part of her mind was saying that it would be better to just drop it and tell him about the Harper Hall—she'd have to tell him sometime. That was the same part of her that was saying what a bad idea this was turning into.

The rest of her said: _go for it. Rile him up and drop him cold. He's practically _asking _for it._

Apparently the trip had taken its toll on Minia; when Caleea set the little green lizard aside, she barely stirred. The journeywoman fluidly turned on the cot, pressing Val against the stone wall by his shoulders, her knees straddling his legs. Leaning in, ignoring his shocked expression, until her breath danced across his lips, she said in the most suggestive voice she could conjure, "Want to bet?"

In a moment Val's hands were at her waist and she clutched his shoulders as he pushed her over backward. Suddenly she was flat on her back on the cot; Val was on top of her, pinning her down, eyes burning, hands on either side of her head to hold himself up.

Minia roused and gave a slight _cheep _as Val brushed his lips across her owner's ear. Caleea shivered, at once unsure. For all her suggestive talk, only one thought raced through her mind: _Shards, nothing like this has ever even _almost_ happened to me._

_Something_ in her demanded that she dump her plan and get fardling _out_ of here. Val obviously wasn't concentrating on much; Caleea easily pushed him off her and onto his side. Before he could register surprise, she had already jumped off the cot, straightened her tunic, and was sitting on the floor, head leaning back against the wall, eyes closed, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

A few minutes later, Val settled down next to her. He put a casual arm around her shoulders and pulled her so that she was leaning against him instead of the wall. She sighed a bit and he started stroking her hair.

Caleea let out a self-depreciating chuckle. "My plan backfired."

She looked up at Val in time to see him blink in surprise, one of his weird habits. Slowly he leaned down, probably so that she could escape if she wanted, and planted a light and tender kiss on her lips. It wasn't her first kiss; she'd been randomly kissed several times, most of them at the Weyr. But _Val_ . . .

She drew back, sighing, pushing away from Val's warmth.

If Val had a fire-lizard . . . after all, he already knew her, better than most people ever had. She stood up and backed away from Val, whose eyes were hardening as he masked whatever he felt at her rejection.

She shook her head ever so slightly and looked helplessly at Minia, extending her hand. The darling creature swooped and landed on Caleea's forearm. With one last glance at Val, face indecipherable in the dawning light, she slipped out the door and down the hall.

And the worst part had been that it was all so . . . _silent. _She'd've rather had an all-out fight. _Much _rather . . .

There were already holders up and about, cooking breakfast. Which meant, Caleea realized as she stepped into the dining hall, that their Harper Hall-assigned guide should be coming—

"Miss Caleea?" An expectant voice called out from behind her.

Turning, Caleea searched the ever-growing breakfast crowd for the source. A bronze fire-lizard darted into view and hovered above her. Minia started chittering and the bronze answered. After nearly a minute, Minia launched herself off Caleea's shoulder and she and the bronze twined necks midair like they were old friends, though Caleea could swear she'd never seen that lizard before. The two swooped around each other playfully and suddenly vanished _between._

Utterly confused, Caleea returned to her search. A movement toward her from the left caught her eye and she turned.

An instant later she was rooted to the spot by the most amazing blue eyes in all of Pern.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Heh, well, apparently we only missed one week in there. It's been hectic. I could go on and on about moving and packing and cleaning and such getting in the way of writing...but that's not only a poor excuse but also a waste of your time. You probably just want to read the chapter which this time is in Caleea's POV again. :) So, here it is! (Oh yeah and that whole reviews/criticisms thing, don't forget, yeah, we like those. lol)_**

**_And, so I don't get reprimanded by my co-author: WE DO NOT OWN THE DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN! :)_**

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Chapter 7:

"Here she is, the _Kali_," Taerin announced, leading Caleea onto his modest boat.

Val hadn't been seen since she left him in her quarters. When she'd gone back to pack he'd already vanished. But he'd be back, Caleea was almost sure, and until then she'd settle herself in on the _Kali_.

The floor under her rocked back and forth and she grabbed at the edge rail to keep from falling.

Taerin gave a soft laugh. "Everyone does that their first time at sea. Ye'll get used to it right quick."

Caleea giggled. "My balance on moving surfaces is nonexistent. I wouldn't count on it improving anytime soon."

He offered her his arm with a lopsided grin and led her to her quarters. It didn't take very long to dump her pack on the cot and make herself familiar with the area below deck. She and Val both had their own rooms—she'd tactfully informed their guide that she and Val didn't share quarters.

Heading back up the stairs to the top deck, Caleea realized she'd gone ten whole minutes without needing to grab onto the wall. She chuckled to herself, self-consciously grabbing at the cold rail. Maybe her balance would improve.

The sunset was beautiful. Reds and oranges and pinks and purples painted together in shades more vivid than anything else on Pern. It wasn't _more _beautiful when viewed from the tethered _Kali_, of course, but Caleea would still never tire of sunsets over the ocean, no matter how many days they were going to be at sea.

"Settled in?" Taerin asked from behind her, leaning on the rail.

"Yeah. Hopefully Val turns up soon." _Shards! _If the dimglow hadn't disappeared she wouldn't be so worried about him and maybe she could actually talk about something _else_ with Taerin. "Sunset's amazing," she added.

"Indeed, that it is. As ever."

He spoke soft and, though Caleea was still looking out to sea, she knew he was very close to her. If he was just another fardling boy who wanted her because of Minia she would see to it that he was made incapable of a mating flight anytime soon.

But Taerin didn't make any further movement and Caleea smiled to herself. Sunsets never lasted long, it was such a shame. Once dusk settled in she took a deep breath of clean, salty air and turned around, hopping up to sit on the rail. She tilted her head at Taerin, gazing into his sapphire eyes thoughtfully.

With that ever-lopsided grin of his he asked, "What?"

Caleea would have answered him, but the boat suddenly rocked just a bit to the side and she nearly toppled off her perch. Instantly she was back on the deck, grasping the rail as if it was the only thing keeping her alive.

Taerin laughed and she turned to him indignantly, loosening but not releasing her clutch on the rail. "I could have gotten drenched," she said with a sour expression.

"Ye really do need better balance if ye plan on sitting like that these next days."

He was right, Caleea knew, but that didn't prevent her from sitting there nearly every time she was up top. She just couldn't get enough of the blue. The ocean . . . it went on forever, or so it seemed out here. Now she could understand some of Menolly's sea songs. How could one _not _love something so vast and beautiful?

Even Val seemed drawn to it. He certainly spent enough time staring out at it, sitting completely still. Sometimes, talking to Taerin, she didn't even realize Val was there until he shifted positions.

The next evening, after they set off from Nerat—with no tears except for Ressi, who couldn't contain her sobs even though she understood the importance of Caleea's mission—she was sitting on the rail, looking out at the practically invisible horizon, savoring the feeling leftover from the sunset. The waves were rough but it wasn't stormy. It wouldn't be long now until the stars came out.

Everything happened so fast Caleea couldn't have stopped it if she wanted. The boat rocked; she was falling. Some reflex she didn't know she had let her twist and grab the rail in her hands, but she was still dangling over the side of the boat, unable to call for help. The one time nobody was on the deck . . .

Minia burst into view, chittering madly, and Caleea barely had time to realize her grip wasn't going to last long when a hand closed around her arm. A second later strong arms were around her waist and she was gasping, heart racing with her close call. She looked up at her rescuer and realized she was clinging to Taerin.

His blue eyes shimmered with worry as his lopsided grin spread across his face in relief. "Told ye that ye needed better balance to pull that off," he whispered.

Taerin was _so . . . so . . ._ warm, Caleea realized, her annoyed thought and mental smirk cut off. His arms, still around her, kept her involuntary shivers down.

She could have waited for him to kiss her; he was obviously going to. But, running out of patience, she moved her hands up and around his neck, pulling his head into a startled but sweet kiss.

One of his hands traveled up to her head, cradling it as his mouth moved against hers. It was light, comforting.

They pulled apart, Caleea smiling up at Taerin as he grinned softly back at her. Her smile grew when she saw Minia, eyes whirling quickly but not very redly, balanced on the rail, Taerin's bronze Kalle snuggled up against her.

At her mental call Minia flew to her forearm and stroked her face against Caleea's, crooning. Kalle perched up on Taerin's shoulder and Taerin's arms were still holding Caleea close. She leaned her head against his chest—his shoulder was too far up—and sighed in contentment, a smile still on her face.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught a movement on the stairway. Her smiled all but drained from her face as Val halted at the top and turned around, his face as devoid of emotion as she'd ever seen.

* * *

"A boat," Val said in a deadpan voice, sitting across from Caleea but not necessarily talking to her, "A _boat._ We're Harpers, _Journeymen,_ and they give us a _boat_. Really. Talk about showing gratitude. I mean, we're helping the Harper Hall, helping _Pern_, and they spread the word that we're fugitives, on the run. The nerve of some people. We should be getting a bronze, a brown at least. But _no_, we're here on a sharding boat."

Caleea smiled at him, though as all her smiles for him this past day had been, it was strained. She hated that their friendship had become so tense in so short a time. Taerin sat next to Caleea, his arm resting on his knee and his hand casually brushing her thigh. She didn't mind one bit, but she was sure Val did.

Taerin wasn't paying much attention to their conversation, however, poring over maps as studiously as he was.

"What's up with him?" Val asked. Caleea blinked and realized she'd never told him why Taerin had been assigned to them.

"Taerin here," Caleea said, her tone softening at his name, "isn't a harper, exactly. Just . . . a seaman who's _really _good at getting undercover harpers lost exactly where they want to be." She smirked.

Val responded with a slow nod. He hadn't been hostile, Caleea thought, just . . . different.

A slight wind blew across the deck from the endless expanse of blue-gray around them. Minia and sleek Kalle cavorted overhead, riding the breeze and settling on the mast. They were close together as always.

Val's gaze was drawn to them and Caleea thought she heard a soft growl from his direction. She chose to ignore it. Val was going to have to get over it eventually.

Caleea wasn't certain yet, but she couldn't really doubt what she felt for the soft-spoken seaman. And it wasn't just because he'd been personally assigned by the Masterharpers that Caleea felt inclined to trust him. The fact that he'd saved her life probably had something to do with it . . .

And he had a fire-lizard. A _bronze_. A bronze that Minia was quite taken with.

He had absolutely no music sense whatsoever, but he'd said anything Caleea played must be pretty, without a reason for such a remark, and started plotting out their course, calculating tides and distances and weather patterns. Val had come up shortly after to start his ranting.

Caleea sighed imperceptibly—in regret, in thoughtfulness, in contentment—and leaned back, resting her head on Taerin's shoulder as she watched the fire-lizards. He shifted under her and almost without her noticing, his arm was gently around her shoulders, rough seaman's hands soft against her bare arm as he lightly stroked it.

She was so confused. She felt something for the easygoing, firm, rough Taerin, something she'd never felt before. Something solid and steady, careful and sure. She got the feeling he would always be there for her, would never do something she didn't clearly want.

But Val—sly, unpredictable, self-assured Val—knew her better than she knew herself. Caleea couldn't deny enjoying it just a _tiny _bit when he'd pinned her down and blew against her ear, lost in a brief passion. And he'd stood up for her countless times by silently settling the score on anyone who dared to mock her.

They'd known each other for just a Turn but their strengths in both harpering and mischief played off each other perfectly. Everyone knew that.

But she'd only known Taerin for a day and already he was treating her like a lover.

Honestly, she couldn't choose. Couldn't even think about choosing. She _wouldn't _chose. Val was just . . . _just_ a friend. A partner. He'd always be that; they couldn't possibly be separated and Caleea refused to give up harpering now. It really wasn't too late to find him a fire-lizard either—

Yet Taerin was the one that Caleea could see sticking with her as Minia rose, and easily for years beyond that. But she just hoped it wasn't Minia's rising that was influencing her decision, that made her want Taerin to kiss her as passionately as Val almost had.

"By my calculations," Taerin suddenly said, breaking the silence and Caleea's thoughts, blinking his blue eyes rapidly as he gazed out at the sea, "the storm will reach us shortly, without warning."

"We should go below, then?" Caleea asked, almost reluctant to leave her position.

Taerin nodded affirmative, giving her a broad grin as she stood, and started rolling up his yellowing old maps. He shot a look at Val and back at Caleea, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. He was more intelligent than he let on.

Caleea glanced over at her friend. Val had made no move to get up, instead closing his eyes and leaning back against the rail. She glanced back helplessly at Taerin and gave a little shrug. Val was going to be like that for a while. There wasn't anything they could do about it. He'd probably be a complete _jerk_ for the next few days, unless he refused to say anything—and neither was the preferred option.

Taerin nodded his head in understanding and Caleea yanked Val to his feet by his arm like she always had. But he shot her a look, disengaging his arm from her grasp.

He turned away far too quickly to see her sigh. _Shards! _Caleea swore mentally. She'd always had such a clear direction, clear goals. Always made _sure_ she was in control of her feelings and future. But now she felt like flinging herself into the sea just to avoid the conflict raging inside her head.

The only thing she was sure of now was that if she didn't choose soon it would no longer be her choice.


	8. Fic Cancel Notice

And they all died, the end.


End file.
